My Mother
was offended
one year
when I bought her
Scott Peck’s book:
The Road Less Traveled.
I had read the book
at the early stages
of me realizing
that my choices
in life
led me
to where I was going.
Simple concept,
but I am a slow learner.
My Mom,
in fact,
thought I was “retarded”
because I just sat around
smiling all the time;
but I was diagnosed,
as just happy.
The Road Less Traveled
was a gift
that I gave to her
from my heart,
because I learned so much
from reading it,
and my life
was changing
in such a positive direction,
that I wanted to share it
with the ones I loved.
I gave THAT book
to five people
that year.
But Mom
had some pre-conceived
idea of what the book
was about,
and she took
my giving it to her
as a slap
in the face
of where
she HADN’T traveled
in life.
Who’da Thunk?
Her insecurity
was stronger
than her gratitude.
Well,
it took a good year
to heal the hurt
between us
over a gift
that I was joyous
of giving to her.
She’s my mother,
family,
family heals.
Giving something
from the heart
is a risky thing.
You risk getting
shot down.
I’ve had other situations
in my life
where I gave something,
or did something
from my heart,
and the receptor
of my gift
took my gift,
and turned it around,
and tried to
kill the spirit in which
I gave it
and turn it
into something
ELSE.
I think it goes back
to me being
that happy infant
who grew into a
happy little boy
who didn’t skip a beat
in realizing
that he is truly
The Happiest Man Alive!
People who aren’t happy
with their lives,
aren’t happy with the
road that they find themselves
choosing to walk along,
quite frequently
can’t be around me.
In the past
few years,
I’ve lost two dear friends who,
to the best of my recollection,
simply could not
be around
The Happiest Man Alive,
and all that meant
as a mirror
to their own lives.
In each case,
trust was broken
because they perceived
me not being loyal to them.
One wanted me
to choose between him
and new friends,
and having spent summers
in camp singing:
MAKE NEW FRIENDS,
BUT KEEP THE OLD,
ONE IS SILVER,
AND THE OTHER GOLD.
I couldn’t stop making friends
just because he was jealous of them.
The Other wanted me
to defend him
when I knew
that what he wanted me
to say
was not the truth.
Looking back,
it’s been scary,
but when I’ve chosen
to go down
the road less traveled,
it’s taken me
to some lonely places
where I’ve met
some wonderful people.
It’s time to keep walking.
